[BC] Re: Engineering school teachers

[Ron Youvan]

> All college engineering schools, that I know of, weed out about 50% of the
> freshman class. Their experience has shown that its better to send a warning
> to those not motivated to learn engineering select some other course of
> study. Of that 50% who failed as engineers 75% or so change majors and the
> rest drop out of school.

   A class test or two doesn't seem an appropriate TEST of "motivated to learn
engineering" to me, especially since  I made 42, 42, 42, 100 - to the end
in technical school, I went on to WORK as a broadcast engineer since Aug. 12, 1963.
When I changed stations in 1979 I worked for a week at both at the same time.

   So, if for instance on a test 50% of the students got 98% correct (out of
100 questions) and 50% of the students got 96% correct, giving half of the
students a F is exceptable?  I know the chances of this is slim.

   I've heard of "grading on the curve," but I never knew what it was used for.
If the bottom 1/5 * of a class were automatically given Fs because it would take
too much of the instructor's time to bring them to the level of the rest of the
class, I might understand it, but to boot out half of the students even if they
only missed one or two questions more doesn't seem to be productive to me.
This would "weed out" the people that can to school to party.  I think everyone
studying hard should get a chance to learn.  (* from A, B, C, D, F)

   I have worked with several fine fellows over my years that "flunked out of EE
school" and went on to get a business degree, I met them working as engineers in 
broadcasting.  If two or three of their fellow engineering students had gotten
the flue for one particular test they might have graduated as EE's.  Ironic.

   Does this occur in other subjects or just in engineering, or just some schools?
   Is this the reason that America is falling behind other countries in `math and
the sciences'?  (I keep hearing this on TV!)
-- 
    Ron